Leucanthemum plant named ‘Banana Cream’

ABSTRACT

The new Shasta Daisy plant,  Leucanthemum  ‘Banana Cream’, is a sturdy plant with dark green serrated foliage, strong heavily-branched stems, and flowering with large terminal heads and numerous axillary heads having ray petals starting off light lemon yellow and brightening to near white. The new plant is useful for long-flowering attractive landscaping in borders, in mass, as accent plants, containerized for patio or indoor use, or as a cut flower.

Botanical classification: Leucanthemum×superbum (L. Burbank).

Variety denomination: ‘Banana Cream’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The original Shasta Daisies were bred by Luther Burbank in the late 1800's as a cross between Leucanthemum maximum (Ramond) DC. with Leucanthemum lacustre (Broth.) Samp. The new plant, Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ originated from a planned cross-pollination made by the inventor, Kevin A. Hurd, at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in the summer of 2006. The new Leucanthemum was originally given the breeder number 06-12-10 as a cross between Leucanthemum×superbum ‘Leumayel’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,242 as the female or seed parent and Leucanthemum×superbum ‘Sunny Side Up’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837 as the male or pollen parent and was selected for further evaluation by the Inventor in the trial fields of the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. in the summer of 2008. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Shasta Daisy botanically known as Leucanthemum×superbum and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Banana Cream’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem tip cuttings and shoot tip plant tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics of the original plant retained through successive generations of asexual propagation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new plant, Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’, is most closely compared to the female parent, Leucanthemum ‘Leumayel’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,242, more commonly referred to in the trade as Leucanthemum ‘Broadway Lights’. In test trials in Zeeland, Mich. the new plant, ‘Banana Cream’, had significantly more axillary branches and flowers than ‘Leumayel’ giving a much longer season of effective bloom. Terminal flowers of ‘Banana Cream’ are about 10% larger than the terminal flowers of ‘Leumayel’.

‘Banana Cream’ differs from its male parent in having more yellow ray petals compared to the white ray petals of ‘Sunny Side Up’.

Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ differs from all cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Sturdy plants with dark green serrated foliage.     -   2. Strong heavily-branched stems.     -   3. Flowering with large terminal heads and numerous axillary         heads.     -   4. Single row of ray petals starting off light lemon yellow and         brightening to near white.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance and landscape qualities of the new plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source, direction and temperature may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 Shows the new plant flowering in a landscape setting.

FIG. 2 Shows a close-up of the flowers and the change in ray petal color.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant has not been observed in all possible environments and conditions. The phenotype of ‘Banana Cream’ may vary between growing conditions such as changes in temperature, light intensity, water availability, fertility, but without change in the genotype.

Trial plants of about 9 months of age were grown in Zeeland, Mich. in a full-sun, loamy-sand trial field environment with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Summer temperatures range from night lows of about 10° C. to daytime highs of about 32° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of trial plants.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum×superbum (L. Burbank). -   Parentage: Female parent Leucanthemum×superbum ‘Leumayel’ U.S. Plant     Pat. No. 19,242. Male parent Leucanthemum×superbum ‘Sunny Side Up’     U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837. -   Habit: Herbaceous perennial with multiple branched stems arising     from rhizome base; about 50 cm tall and 25 cm across with rounded     top and nearly vertical sides. -   Roots: Fibrous, thin, heavily branched. -   Propagation: Tip cuttings or tissue culture; about two weeks to     produce roots from cutting; about 33 weeks to finish to flower in     3.8 liter pot depending on season. -   Stems: 4 to 5 main stems per plant, strong, upright, 8 mm diameter     at base, 50 cm tall; canaliculated, hispidulous; coloration between     RHS 139A and RHS 138B, with sun exposure at base coloration nearest     RHS N186C. -   Axillary branches: 5 to 13 per main stem, between 7 to 20 cm long     and 4 mm diameter; less canaliculated than main stem, hispidulous;     at angles of about 20° from vertical becoming vertical; coloration     between RHS 139A and RHS 138B. -   Leaves: Serrated, glabrous above, glabrous below except for main     veins hispidulous, dentate with about ten teeth between 2 and 4 mm     long; apex acute; base sessile to attenuate, partially clasping;     lowest leaves about 22 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, distal leaves 6 cm     long and 1 cm wide; adaxial coloration RHS 139A, abaxial coloration     RHS 1378; fragrance none detected. -   Veins: Major veins anastomosing, slightly recessed, same color as     surrounding leaf on abaxial side, coloration nearest RHS 138B on     adaxial side; center vein to 2.5 mm across with coloration of RHS     139D on both sides. -   Flowers: Capitate, 24 to 30 per plant; primary flowers 14 cm across     to 1.5 cm tall, axillary flowers 10 cm across and 1.2 cm tall;     comprising about 50 ray florets and 800 disc florets; individual     lasting about three weeks on or cut from plant; fragrant with age     slightly offensive. -   Flowering period: Early summer to fall. -   Peduncle: Strong, hispidulous, round to canaliculate but less     canaliculate than stem, 6 to 20 cm long and 2 to 3 mm diameter. -   Bud: With petals still vertical, adaxial coloration between RHS 4A     and RHS 4B and abaxial coloration nearest RHS 4C. -   Ray florets: Arranged around perimeter of capitulum; 52 cm long and     7 mm wide, lanceolate, glabrous, acute apex having one to three     clefts with center cleft 2 mm deep and two others on either side     about 1 mm deep; base attenuate. -   Ray floret color: As petals are first at 180° horizontal adaxial RHS     4C and abaxial RHS 4D; mature flower adaxial nearest RHS 155D and     abaxial lighter than RHS 155D except apical 2 mm of RHS 4D; base 7     to 8mm on adaxial side and S mm on abaxial side RHS 143B. -   Disc florets: About 800 per inflorescence in center of capitulum,     combined 3.5 cm across and 1.2 cm tall; individual floret 1.0 cm     tall and 2.5 mm wide, five tepals 3 mm long with acute apex, fused     at base. -   Disc floret color: Base between RHS 143 C and RHS 143D; apical 3 mm     of tepals RHS 14B. -   Androecium: Only in disc florets; five stamens fused together around     style; anther about 3 mm long and less than one mm wide, anther     coloration nearest RHS 17B; filaments fused together, about 2 mm     long, filament coloration nearest RHS 2D. -   Gynoecium: In ray florets and disc florets, style about 3 mm long     and less than 1 mm diameter, split at apical 0.5 mm, style     coloration nearest RHS 2D, stigma less than 0.5 mm diameter, stigma     coloration nearest RHS 2D. -   Involucre: Made of three layers of phyllaries averaging 42 per head;     to 3.5 across and 0.5 cm tall. -   Phyllaries: Averaging 42 per head, 10 mm long and 3 mm wide. -   Phyllaries color: RHS 187A on margin, basal third RHS 145A and     darker than RHS 141A in apical half. -   Fruit: Achene, pointed at base and rounded at distal end with     longitudinal color striations nearest RHS N200A and lighter than RHS     155D; about 4 to 5 mm long and 1.5 mm across.

Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ grows best with adequate moisture but can tolerate some dryness once established. It is tolerant of high temperatures of at least 36° and cold hardy to at least USDA zone 5. Other disease or pest resistance beyond that common to Shasta Daisy has not been observed. 

1. The new and distinct Shasta Daisy plant, Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ as herein shown and described useful for long-flowering attractive landscaping in borders, in mass, as accent plants, containerized for patio or indoor use, or as a cut flower. 